discretionary

American  

[dih-skresh-uh-ner-ee] / dɪˈskrɛʃ əˌnɛr i /

adjective

1. subject or left to one's own discretion.

2. for any use or purpose one chooses; not earmarked for a particular purpose.

   discretionary income; a discretionary fund.

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discretionary British  

/ -ənrɪ, dɪˈskrɛʃənərɪ /

adjective

1. having or using the ability to decide at one's own discretion

   discretionary powers

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Other Word Forms

• discretionarily adverb
• nondiscretionary adjective

Etymology

Origin of discretionary

First recorded in 1690–1700; discretion + -ary

Example Sentences

Evaluate other undocumented people residing in the U.S. on a discretionary basis, with a presumption in favor of residency rights if they’re employed, have paid taxes, and haven’t abused the welfare system.

From The Wall Street Journal

Shrinking the balance sheet in this setup is mechanical rather than discretionary.

From Barron's

Those tariffs landed on top of pandemic-related supply-chain disruptions and inflationary pressures that had kept some people from buying discretionary items including toys, sneakers, clothes and electronics.

From MarketWatch

On a sector basis, consumer discretionary stocks turned higher after the ruling.

From MarketWatch

Mr. Curran insists that few writers of the golden age “had an objective other than game-playing,” which was “the primary, rather than a discretionary, component of detective fiction.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• unrestricted